Digamber Kamat seems to have assumed the role which Babush Monseratte played in the last assembly. The illegal actviities under him have swelled. Whether Town & Country portfolio or Mines portfolio, the minister has surpassed all previous records of excesses. This is how everyone including Oscar Rebello got fooled.
When Cavrem locals barged into his Margao residence, he tried to fool the people by telling them that he has told Pollution Control Board to close the mine. Digamber must have thought that the humble looking illiterate people would believe in him and go home. He also knew that these poor people have no money and hence low in sustaining power. But Digamber failed to gauge their will power. They had a firm belief that unless they act (do or die) now, their children would not survive the onslaught that Digamber as Mines minister has unleashed in the mining belt. The affected people did not go home. They marched to Pollution Control Board in Panaji. The Chairman of Pollution Control Board revealed CM's lies. As reported by Tarun Bharat and told by agitators, the chairman told them that the CM instructed him to mediate between the agitatators and the mine owner and keep the mine running. This is WORST FORM OF BABUSH multiplied 100 times. When agitators told Chairman Pollution Board that they only want illegal mine closed, the Chairman agreed that the mine was illegal and needs to be served the notice under certain sections. But also told them that the power lies in the hands of Mines Director, who even goes to piss if his master permits. The previous mines director and mines secretary who remained in one position for 8 years each also did the same. Relentless Cavrem Arabs were determined to defeat the Sheikh. They went to Mines Director. Laid a seige. It was untill 10.30 pm hundreds of onlookers visited and saw the lights illuminated on the 2nd floor of Udyog Bhavan which houses mines directorate, the centre of biggest ever corruption in Goa. The Arabs succeeded. The sheikh lost. He will lose more in the election. His fate: Raja or Kalmadi? The third floor of Udyog Bhavan, which houses Information Director was already at home. But he was working overtime, constantly on phone, ringing media to censor this and that. Read what Media published after censoring. It was nice to see Navhind Times a Dempo newspaper bringing out facts better, while Herald considered free is now collapsing. The Garand Old but new in Goa, Times of India, also did well to express public outcry. The vernaculars, both Marathi and Kokanni were more factual than English free media. VICTORY FOR CAVREM AS STATE GOVT CAVES IN (ToI) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Victory-for-Cavrem-as-state-govt-caves-in/articleshow/7607787.cms PANAJI/MARGAO: In a major victory for the villagers of Cavrem<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=villagers of Cavrem>, the state government on Tuesday, agreed to write to the Centre proposing cancellation of the mining lease in the village. The government was forced by villagers who threatened not to leave the office of the mines department until orders for closure of operations of the mine at Devapan Dongor<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=mine at Devapan Dongor>in the village was given. The order issued at 10pm by mines director Arvind Loliyekar, said the department will take necessary steps to close the operations of the controversial mine. There was jubilation outside Udgyog Bhavan, metres away from the police headquarters, where the villagers had been camping since afternoon. Social activist Claude Alvares and others who had gathered since evening in solidarity with Cavrem villagers, said this is the first time the government was forced to close down mining operations within a day's sustained agitation. Loliyekar said the department will forthwith "issue an order to Shaikh Salim (legal heir of Xec Mohammed Issac) to withdraw all mining machinery and equipment from the mining lease area" by Wednesday. Pollution board orders closure of Cavrem mine (Herald) http://www.oheraldo.in/news/Main%20Page%20News/Pollution-board-orders-closure-of-Cavrem-mine/46134.html PANJIM, MARCH 1 The 12-hour-long ordeal of the residents from Cavrem in Quepem taluka in the capital city of Panjim was capped with the order of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) which ordered to cease all the activity at the controversial mining site. The order which was issued late night by GSPCB’s assistant environment engineer has asked Quepem police to strictly ensure that all activities including developmental, remedial, extraction activity at M/s Devapan ou Devadongor Iron and Manganese mine are stopped or suspended with immediate effect. Around 150 residents under the banner `Cavrem Adivasi Bachao’ samiti had refused to move from the Mines Department office till late night demanding a sealing order from the department along with the instructions to shift the machinery immediately. Earlier in the day, the protestors had met Chief Minister Digambar Kamat at his private residence in Margao and later arrived in Panjim to meet GSPCB officials. The residents who were not happy with the replies given by GSPCB marched to the office of Mines and Geology Department and laid siege there for almost eight hours. The protestors had claimed that inspite of closure order on December 2, 2010, the mine owner was carrying out extraction of ore under the guise of complying with the directions by GSPCB, which were issued on February 01, 2011. They claimed that GSPCB had kept on hold, the mine owner’s plea to renew the licence to extract the ore. The board had informed the mine owner that `his submission would be processed only on satisfactory compliance of the various directions given by them.’ As the residents refused to move from Panjim streets and insisted that they will not budge till Mines Department gives them a written assurance to close the controversial mining site, the GSPCB authorities held last minute discussions. After much of the reluctance, the board at 9:30 pm faxed the order to the Mines Department where the delegation of 15 protestors was sitting in the director’s office since afternoon. The GSPCB directives came under section 31 (A) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and under section 33 (A) of the water (prevention and control of pollution) act, 1974. Director of Mines Arvind Lolienkar has passed the order that by Wednesday 5 pm all the machinery will be removed from the site. He sought two days time with the protestors to move the file for the necessary procedures to cancel the mining lease. After the assurance and issuance of order the protestors left the office of Mines and Geology Department where they laid siege for several hours. http://www.navhindtimes.in/goa-news/cavrem-locals-firm-mine-closure CAVREM LOCALS FIRM ON CLOSURE (NT) Story Summary: Villagers of Cavrem marched to the Chief Minister’s Margao residence demanding closure of mine in their village on Tuesday. MARGAO: More than 200 Cavrem villagers descended on the Chief Minister’s residence at Margao, on Tuesday morning, demanding the immediate closure of the mine, they termed illegal that was operating in their village. "The Chief Minister called up the pollution control board. He promised to close the mine," Mr Dilip Gaokar, a villager told media after the meeting with the Chief Minister, adding "we will not go home till we have the order in hand. We want this settled today. We are not going home till it is settled." Coupled with sentiments like this one could see the desperation in their voices and the open distrust of government officers. "The government officials were given proof. But no action was taken, they are protecting the mining operations," another villager angrily remarked adding that it was better to die than be harassed by the police who, he alleged was foisting false cases on them at the behest of the mining company. "We want our God given water. We do not want polluted, treated water. We have to think of our children’s future," Ms Anisha Velip told media. The frustration and anger were palpable and people were willing to sit and agitate right there till they get what they wanted. "We are facing the brunt. People from Panaji and Margao do not know what is going on. We want it sorted it now. We are not willing to wait till tomorrow. Government officials give us assurances on the face and on the back side allow the mines to operate. In this mine itself we are seeing it for the past two months. They restarting the work at 5 a.m and closing by 8 a.m so that the people are not aware, and we are not going to stand for this any longer," another villager angrily told media. Anger seems to be boiling. And situation is delicate. The villagers also staged dharna at the Directorate of Mines, creating a blockade from afternoon till evening, demanding closure of the mine in their village. The villagers alleged that a fresh spring water spout has been buried by the mining activity carried out by the operator Mukhtar. This has deprived them of fresh drinking water, they added. The mining lease is owned by Shaikh Salim. The Goa State Pollution Controlled Board (GSPCB) chairman, Dr Simon De Souza said, earlier Shaikh Salim has obtained all the necessary clearance from the Wild Life, environment clearance (EC) from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, and hence has been given the consent to operate by the GSPCB. The mining lease consists partly of forest areas and non-forest areas, and the permit by the High Court was to operate in the non-forest areas. The consent to operate has expired some months ago and Shaikh Salim has applied for its renewal. During the process of renewal, GSPCB has conducted a number of inspections of the mine, Dr De Souza added. "It was found that pollution of the fresh water nullah running through the mine was due to non-compliance of condition of consent. In this regards directions have been issued to Shaikh Salim to rectify the short comings," he further added. During the processing of this application by the GSPCB, the representatives from NGOs and locals agitated against the operations of the mine and claims and counter-claims by the agitators and mine operators were made to the GSPCB, he mentioned. "To verify these claims, the board conducted a joint inspection involving officials from the board, forest department, director of mines, and IBM, Bangalore. The report was submitted following the inspection. It was noted that one dump has been erected close to the sweet water nullah (within 50 meters). This is violating EC conditions, and creating an artificial pond near the spring. After reviewing the report, the technical advisory committee of the board decided to issue direction to the mine operators to shift the dump and to comply with the board directions by March 1," he stated. "The mine operators were told to suspend operations and to meet the conditions laid out by the board to approve of its consent. They have started work of shifting the dump. It was while shifting that the agitators alleged that activity has been started. The March 1, deadline has been extended by the board," GSPCB chairman informed.
